Howard Park Condos’ green approach is a highlight for buyers of the project’s second phase in Roncesvalles.

“It’s definitely an extra added bonus,” says Kristin Speth, 36, who works in the architecture industry. “It makes you think twice about buying a place. And to know that you’re not going to be impacting the environment as much as you could be, I think, is something a lot of people look for.”

Using a geothermal heating/cooling system, Howard Park 2 aims for improved air and water quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and greater attention to the natural environment in achieving Tier 2 Toronto Green Standard — a 25 per cent improvement over energy use outlined in the Ontario Building Code.

Speth, who bought a two-bedroom, two-bath unit at just under 800 square feet, found the midrise Howard Park 2 development attractive for reasons beyond its environmental allure. She says her suite is larger than many condos she saw while shopping for a home in Toronto. The neighbourhood, too, was a good fit for Speth who grew up in Alberta.

“In the Roncesvalles area, everybody is so friendly,” she says. “You can talk to people on the street; I run into people I know everywhere on Roncy. Every weekend that I’m out I run into people from work or from school, so you really start getting to know the neighbourhood.

“Maybe it’s a little bit of the small town, rural upbringing I had, but I just find it’s more community-oriented.”

Fifty-six of the 96 unit layouts in Phase 2 are unique — something Speth appreciated as thoughtful design. She found the kitchen finishes and stainless appliances, including a gas stove, suit her needs as an avid cook. Unit interiors will also feature energy-efficient windows, laminate flooring, custom cabinetry, stone kitchen and bathroom counters, a choice of wood or glass sliding terrace doors and built-in gas barbecues.

Inside the suites, “we’re continuing themes that run on the exterior of the building,” said Roland Rom Colthoff, director of RAW Design. “We paid particular attention that, when you’re within your unit, you have a clear view of your exterior walls and windows. The emphasis is on clean design, uncluttered, and very simple and straight-forward materials.

“Even in a very small unit you get to see the entire perimeter of it and you have a large expansive glass at the end of it, so it will feel very spacious.”

To rise eight storeys — with two-storey penthouses and two-storey townhomes — Howard Park’s second phase will include up to 8,500 square feet of ground-level retail.

And its geothermal heating system, which comes at the initial expense of the developer (who can recoup 20 per cent in rebates), is what Mario Ribeiro, president and CEO of Triumph Developments — Howard Park’s builder — says is one step towards independence from the city’s power grid.

“It provides a reliable source of heating and cooling at a guaranteed price because you’re not relying on fossil fuels and commodities,” said Ribeiro. “It makes the building self-sufficient. It keeps us off the grid, and in the city that’s difficult to do.”

The heating system is not the only environmentally friendly feature at Howard Park 2. Terraces from the sixth floor up will have large planters for vines which will give the building a natural façade.

“We will have mature plants that will become the façade of the building,” says RAW’S Colthoff. “This is a truly green project . . . people will come out of their unit and be right beside a real piece of nature.”

Another green component will be the building’s extensive storm-water management system. A green roof will help slow the flow of storm water into city sewers while collecting rainfall to water terrace planters. A large tank in the buildings’ rear yard will collect whatever the planters don’t use, dividing it between the buildings’ irrigation and the ground-water systems.

Howard Park plans an Autoshare program for residents. Transit downtown and to the airport is also a draw with a neighbourhood stop planned for the Union Pearson Express rail link that’s scheduled to open for the 2015 Pan Am Games. The trains will stop at GO’s Bloor Station, near Dundas St. W., in Roncesvalles.

“It’s going to be a 15-minute ride to either the airport or to Union station,” says Ribeiro. “You have a nearby subway and the streetcar as well, so even to get to other parts of the city, it’s convenient.”